Can lighthouse jellyfish really live forever?

Turritopsis dohrnii (also known as immortal jellyfish or immortal jellyfish, scientific name: Turritopsis dohrnii) is a species of jellyfish that is considered to have "biological immortality". Although they are called "immortal jellyfish," they are not actually immortal organisms, but can reset their cellular state through a process called "cell transdifferentiation." The following is a detailed introduction to the immortality ability of lighthouse jellyfish:

The phenomenon of biological immortality:

The life cycle of the lighthouse jellyfish includes three stages: larvae, adult and migration. When injured, starved, or aged, adults of lighthouse jellyfish can degenerate backward into larval state cells and then develop into adults again through a biological phenomenon called cell transdifferentiation. This process is sometimes described vividly as "inversion of the adult worm."

Research and scientific research:

This cell transdifferentiation process in the lighthouse jellyfish has aroused great interest among scientists and researchers. People hope that this cell transdifferentiation process can be used in the fields of medicine and regenerative medicine to explore the possibility of treating diseases and extending life.

Actual life span:

Although jellyfish may be able to repeat this cell state transition, they are not immortal. In fact, lighthouse jellyfish are still subject to various mortality effects under natural conditions, including disease, predation, and environmental factors.

Biological significance:

Studying jellyfish can help us gain a deeper understanding of the life cycle of organisms and the mechanisms of cell regeneration. At the same time, it has also stimulated interest in the medical field, because this phenomenon may have certain reference significance for human regenerative medicine.

Therefore, although the jellyfish has caused a great stir in the biological world and sparked research interest in the fields of medicine and biology, it is not an "immortal creature" in the true sense. Their life cycles are still limited by the environment and external influences, and there is still a big gap between the cell regeneration mechanism and the extension of human life span.

animal tags： lighthouse jellyfish